The French government has given the green light to Framatome, the state-owned nuclear power company, to take part in the construction of two nuclear reactors in Hungary operated by the Russian corporation Rosatom, Le Monde reported, according to Independent Kyiv.

In an article published on April 28, French newspaper Le Monde reported, citing sources, that Paris had given the green light to Framatone to supply equipment for Russia’s construction of two new nuclear reactors at Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant.

“The French government gave permission to Framatome, but the German government did not do the same for Siemens. So we are currently studying this issue in close cooperation with Framatome,” a Hungarian source told Le Monde.

The decision helps the Russians expand a nuclear plant in Hungary, and the report comes amid repeated calls by Ukraine for the EU to impose sanctions on Russia’s nuclear industry, urging the West to do more to limit Moscow’s revenues amid a brutal war.

Despite some EU lawmakers and diplomats pushing for a severance of ties with Rosatom, Russia has strong control over Europe’s nuclear power industry, and progress has been slow. Russia exports nuclear fuel for reactors in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland, and the continent still relies on Russian uranium.

As some countries such as Bulgaria look for ways to reduce dependence on Russia in its Moscow-dominated energy sector, Hungary in August gave permission for Rosatom-led construction of two new nuclear reactors in the southern city of Paks. Currently, the Paksh plant operates with four nuclear reactors.

Despite Germany’s reluctance to supply Hungary with a reactor control system for the Russian-backed expansion project, Hungary relied on French aid, Le Monde reported. He added that the issue was discussed “low-key” during a dinner between French President Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the Elysee Palace on March 13, the Financial Times also reported.

Shortly after lunch, Le Monde quoted Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó as saying that “since the German government is blocking Siemens Energy’s contractual participation for political reasons, we want to rely more on the French.”

According to an August article by Radio Free Europe/Radio Svoboda, the Russian-backed nuclear power plant expansion project in Hungary “will cost approximately $12.4 billion and double the capacity of the nuclear power plant.” He added that Russia will provide a loan of 10 billion dollars for the project.

Orbán struck a deal on the expansion project with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. Despite the delays, Orbán insisted on completing the project by 2030.

France’s participation in the project may indicate the readiness of the two countries to take nuclear cooperation to a new level, the Financial Times reported at the end of March.

Sources told the Financial Times that Russia’s participation in the project could end if the war in Ukraine drags on and the West continues to impose sanctions on Moscow. But the newspaper adds that it is unclear whether this will mean building a new power plant or simply replacing Rosatom with another partner.

The loss of the Paksh project will be a “serious blow” for Rosatom, the newspaper writes with reference to Maksym Samorukov, an expert on Russia at the Carnegie Foundation.